James Bullingham

How James Improved Performance with a Tailored Personal Training Plan

When James First Came to Me

James is 30 years old and a regular competitor in Jiu-Jitsu. When he got in touch, he was frustrated by two things: feeling weaker than he wanted to be and dealing with injuries that had been hanging around for far too long.

He told me, “My coach and teammates constantly ridiculed me for being too weak.” That gave us a clear starting point: build real strength while reducing his risk of injury.

James had been through bits of rehab before but never connected that with a proper strength and conditioning programme. He also had surgery just before Christmas, so another big goal was getting him strong again and back on the mats as soon as possible.

The Plan We Built Together

When we started working together, our focus was clear: create a structured programme that made James stronger, more resilient, and competition-ready.

For someone competing a couple of times a month, planning matters. I worked with James’ competition schedule, reverse-engineering his training so he could peak at the right time, with deload weeks programmed in where needed. The aim was to keep him performing at his best all year round.

Combining In-Person Personal Trainign and Online Coaching

James had worked with other strength and conditioning coaches before, but mostly online with no in-person contact. This time, we added regular in-person sessions alongside his online programme—and it made a huge difference.

In-person coaching allowed us to fine-tune his technique. Small adjustments completely changed how certain exercises felt and improved their effectiveness. James summed it up perfectly: “As well as I can copy someone’s movements from a video, it’s never going to be perfect without someone right there adjusting things.”

Once those movements were nailed in person, he could carry that into his own sessions with confidence.

Making Training Easy to Follow

Outside of in-person sessions, everything runs through the Plan-A coaching app. James didn’t want hassle, and the app makes it simple: just open your phone, check your session, and get to work. Every exercise comes with an explainer video and instructions, so there’s no confusion, no guesswork.

As James says, “If you can pick up a phone and use it, you’re going to be fine with this.”

The Results So Far

Since starting, James feels stronger than ever, less sore day-to-day, and able to manage the demands of competition without breaking down. He’s built muscle, reduced his risk of injury, and now has a programme that works around his goals rather than against them.

Most importantly, he feels like an athlete again.

James’ Advice for Anyone Considering Coaching

His advice is simple:

‍“Just do it. What have you got to lose? You’re going to get stronger, get less injury-prone, and generally be more jacked. It’s going to be great.”

Want to feel stronger, train smarter, and compete with confidence?

‍Whether you’re a competitive athlete or just want to move better, I can help. If you’re looking for a personal trainer in Stourbridge or need an online coaching plan that works around your life, let’s get started.